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IPod Classic
) | operatingsystem = 1.5 (1G, 2G) 2.3 (3G) 3.1.1 (4G) 1.2.1 (4G Color) 1.3 (5G) 1.1.2 (6G) 2.0.5 (7G, 2009) | input = 1G: Scroll wheel 2G–3G: Touch wheel 4G–6G: Click wheel | media = 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, 120 or 160 GB hard drive | display = 1G–4G: 160 x 128 px, , monochrome LCD Color: 220 x 176 px, , color LCD 5G–7G: 320 x 240 px, , color LCD | power = 1G–2G: Lithium polymer battery 3G–6G: Lithium-ion battery | related = iPod Shuffle iPod Nano iPod Touch iPhone | discontinued = September 9, 2014 |website = (archived) |successor = iPod Touch iPhone }} The iPod Classic (stylized and marketed as iPod classic and formerly just iPod) is a portable media player created and formerly marketed by Apple Inc. There were six generations of the iPod Classic, as well as a spin-off (the iPod Photo) that was later re-integrated into the main iPod line. All generations used a hard drive for storage. The "classic" suffix was formally introduced with the rollout of the sixth-generation iPod on September 5, 2007. Prior to this, all iPod Classic models were simply referred to as iPods. It was available in silver or black replacing the "signature iPod white". On September 9, 2014, Apple discontinued the iPod Classic. The sixth-generation 160GB iPod Classic was the last Apple product in the iPod line to use the original 30-pin iPod connector and the iconic Click Wheel. Technical information User interface iPods with color displays use anti-aliased graphics and text, with sliding animations. All iPods have five buttons and the later generations (4th and above) have the buttons integrated into the click wheel — a design which gives an uncluttered, minimalist interface, though the circuitry contains multiple momentary button switches. The buttons are: *''Menu'': to traverse backwards through the menus, toggle the backlight on older iPods, and jump to the main menu on newer iPods *''Center'': to select a menu item *''Play / Pause'': this doubles as an off switch when held *''Skip Forward / Fast Forward'' *''Skip Backwards / Fast Reverse'' Operating system and firmware The iPod's operating system is stored on its dedicated storage medium. An additional NOR flash ROM chip (either 1 MB or 512 KB) contains a bootloader program that tells the device to load its OS from the storage medium. Each iPod also has 32 MB of RAM, although the 60GB and 80GB fifth generation, and the sixth-generation models have 64 MB. A portion of the RAM is used to hold the iPod OS loaded from firmware, but the majority of it serves to cache songs from the storage medium. For example, an iPod could spin its hard disk up once and copy approximately 30 MB of upcoming songs into RAM, thus saving power by not requiring the drive to spin up for each song. Custom firmware has also been developed such as Rockbox (up to 6G - 6G requires emCORE) and iPodLinux (up to 5G) which offer open-source alternatives to the standard firmware and operating system. Additional features In March 2002, Apple added limited PDA-like functionality: text files can be displayed, while contacts and schedules can be viewed and synchronized with the host computer. Some built-in games are available, including Brick (a clone of Breakout), Parachute, Solitaire, and iPod Quiz. A firmware update released in September 2006 brought some extra features to fifth-generation iPods including adjustable screen brightness, gapless playback, and downloadable games. However, as of September 30, 2011, these games are no longer available on the iTunes Store. History 1st generation Apple introduced the first-generation iPod (M8541) on October 23, 2001, with the slogan "1,000 songs in your pocket". They went on sale on November 10, 2001. The first iPod had a monochrome LCD (liquid-crystal display) screen and featured a 5GB hard drive capable of storing 1,000 songs encoded using MP3 and was priced at US$399. Among the iPod's innovations were its small size, achieved using a 1.8" hard drive, whereas its competitors were using 2.5" hard drives at the time, and its easy-to-use navigation, which was controlled using a mechanical scroll wheel (unlike later iPods, which had touch-sensitive scroll wheels), a center select button, and four auxiliary buttons around the wheel. The iPod had a rated battery life of ten hours. On March 20, 2002, Apple introduced a 10GB model of the first-generation iPod for US$499. VCard compatibility was added, as well as allowing iPods to display business card information synced from a Mac. 2nd generation The second-generation of the iPod was introduced on July 17, 2002. Using a similar body style as the first generation, the top of the iPod was redesigned, switching from a single swooping cutout in the back plate to mount the firewire port, hold switch and headphone assembly, to individual ports being cut into the back plate to allow these ports to be accessed. Furthermore, the hold switch was redesigned, a cover was added to the FireWire port, and the mechanical wheel was replaced with a touch-sensitive wheel. The second-generation class was available in 10GB for US$399 and 20GB for US$499. The first-generation 5GB iPod was carried over, but its price was reduced to US$299. Notably, the second-generation iPods and the updated first-generation iPod were now Windows-compatible. These versions came with a 4-pin to 6-pin FireWire adapter and were bundled with Musicmatch Jukebox. At that time iTunes was Mac only and unavailable for Windows. In December 2002, Apple unveiled its first limited edition iPods, with either Madonna’s, Tony Hawk’s, or Beck’s signature or No Doubt's band logo engraved on the back for an extra US$50.Dalrymple, Jim. Limited Edition Madonna, Tony Hawk, Beck iPods. Macworld, September 10, 2002. Retrieved on January 7, 2007. 3rd generation On April 29, 2003, Apple announced a completely redesigned third-generation iPod. Thinner than the previous models, the third-generation models replaced the FireWire port with a new Dock Connector and introduced the Touch Wheel, a completely non-mechanical interface with the four auxiliary buttons located in a row between the screen and the touch wheel. The front plate had rounded edges, and the rear casing was slightly rounded as well. A new wired remote connector was introduced. Whereas first and second-generation iPods had an auxiliary ring around the headphone port for the remote, the third-generation iPods had a 4-pin jack adjacent to the headphone port. A 10GB model was sold for US$299, a 15GB model for US $399, and a 30GB model for US $499. All iPods were now compatible with Mac and Windows out of the box, was simply requiring Windows users to reformat the iPod before use on a PC and both iTunes and Musicmatch Jukebox were bundled with all iPods. The battery life was reduced to 8 hours, partially due to the use of a lithium-ion battery as opposed to a lithium polymer battery. The 15GB model was replaced by a 20GB model and the 30GB model was upgraded to 40 GB on September 8, 2003. The Windows-based Musicmatch Jukebox software was made obsolete and replaced by iTunes 4.1, the first version available for Microsoft Windows. 4th generation Announced on July 19, 2004, the fourth-generation iPod replaced the touch wheel from the third-generation iPod with the Click Wheel from the iPod Mini, putting the four auxiliary buttons underneath a touch-sensitive scroll wheel. The casing was also slightly slimmer. Pricing was reduced and the lineup was simplified, as the 20GB model was sold for US$299 and the 40GB model for US$399. Notably, Apple began reducing pack-in accessories starting with the fourth generation. While a dock, carrying case, and wired remote were previously included with higher-end iPods, the higher-level 40GB iPod only came with a dock, earphones and an interchangeable proprietary cable capable of USB and FireWire interface. In addition to using the iPod Mini's Click Wheel, the fourth-generation iPod used the more energy-efficient components of the Mini, allowing the fourth-generation iPod to over 12 hours of battery life while using the same battery as its predecessor. A special U2 edition was announced on October 26, 2004, to cross-market U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb album. The plastic front piece of the U2 edition iPod was black and the scroll wheel was red, to coincide with the color scheme of the U2 album. With 20 GB and the signatures of all four members of U2, the special edition iPod was priced at US$349 and also included a US$50 coupon for a US$149 collection of U2's entire back catalog. U2 iPod customers also received 30 minutes of exclusive U2 video downloadable from the iTunes Music Store. A Special Harry Potter Edition was announced on September 7, 2005. It was released in conjunction with the Harry Potter Audiobooks in iTunes.Harry Potter Digital Audiobooks Debut Exclusively on iTunes Music Store Apple.com It had a Hogwarts logo engraved on the back, and all six Harry Potter audio books which were available at the time preloaded. iPod Photo On October 26, 2004, in addition to the U2 edition, Apple also unveiled the iPod Photo. Positioned as a premium version of the standard fourth-generation iPod, the iPod Photo featured a 220×176 pixel LCD capable of displaying up to 65,536 colors. The device supported JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and PNG graphic file formats, and could be attached to a television or other external display for slideshows, thanks to a bundled TV cable. Using iTunes 4.7, users could sync photos from a folder, from Apple's iPhoto on the Macintosh, Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0 or Photoshop Elements 3.0 on Windows. Battery life was rated 15 hours for music playback and 5 hours for slideshows with music. The iPod Photo was available in a 40GB version for US$499 and a 60GB version for US$599. On February 23, 2005, both 40GB models (photo and regular) were replaced with a slimmer and lower-priced (US$349) 30GB photo model leaving only a 20GB black-and-white iPod left. The price for the 60GB model was dropped to US$449 with fewer bundled accessories, making the dock, FireWire cable, and television cable extra-cost options. On the same day, Apple announced the iPod Camera Connector which allowed instant transfer of images from a USB-compatible digital camera to the iPod Photo. The main difference between this and Belkin's Digital Camera Link was that Apple's unit supported instant image viewing on the iPod Photo after transfer without having to connect the iPod Photo to a computer first. iPod with color display On June 28, 2005, just nine months after its introduction, the iPod Photo was merged with the rest of the iPod line. The 30GB model was dropped, and the 20GB monochrome iPod received a color screen. The price for the 60GB model was also dropped to US$399. 5th generation The fifth-generation iPod was introduced on October 12, 2005, shortly after the introduction of the iPod Nano. The fifth-generation iPod featured a 2.5" 320×240 QVGA screen and a smaller Click Wheel. It was the first iPod to be able to play videos. The fifth-generation iPod is the first iPod to be available in an alternative color scheme in a non-special-edition form, as a black option was added alongside "Signature iPod White", and marked the second full redesign of the iPod's aesthetic with its re-arranged proportions, its return to a fully flat front plate, and its more rounded rear casing. The 4-pin remote port was removed as well, causing backwards compatibility issues with certain accessories. A 30GB model was offered for US$299 and a 60GB model was offered for US$399. The fifth-generation iPod was also offered in the U2 special edition for US$349 with 30 GB. The fifth-generation iPod was the last model to have a plastic face. The fifth-generation iPod plays video in MP4 (up to 2.5 Mbit/s) and H.264 (up to 768 kbit/s, baseline profile only) formats. The fifth-generation enhance iPod and or 1st revision plays video in MP4 (up to 2.5 Mbit/s) and H.264 (up to 1.5 Mbit/s, baseline profile only) formats. Video such as TV shows, podcasts, music videos, and movies may be purchased from online stores such as the iTunes Store, or downloaded from Google Video and other sources, then imported to the iPod via iTunes software. Videos or photo slideshows may be played from the fifth-generation iPod on a television set, projector or monitor with the use of the Apple iPod AV cable or via a dock using an S-Video cable. It is also possible to do this using some camcorder cables with an RCA connection at one end and a three-banded eighth-inch (3.5 mm) A/V plug at the other, although the red and yellow plugs (normally the audio right and video signals respectively) must be swapped around in order to achieve the correct signal. The fifth-generation iPod was updated on September 12, 2006, colloquially referred to as "5.5th generation". This update included a brighter screen, longer video playback time, newly designed earphones and a search feature. An iTunes installation CD was also no longer bundled, requiring users to download iTunes from Apple's website. The 60GB model was replaced with an 80GB model, and prices were cut by US$50 for both the 30GB (US$249) and the 80GB (US$349) models. Gapless playback and support for iPod games was enabled on all fifth-generation iPods through a firmware update released at the same time. 6th generation During a special iPod-centric event on September 5, 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the sixth-generation iPod and the suffix "classic". Featuring slightly thinner bodies, the sixth-generation iPod also had dramatically improved battery life, claiming up to 36 hours of music playback and 6 hours of video playback. The iPod Classic has a 2.5" backlit display at a resolution of 320×240. The front plate of the iPod is now made of anodized aluminium instead of polycarbonate plastic, and "Signature iPod White" has been replaced by silver. This marks the first time white is not available as a color option for an iPod. The sixth-generation iPod also introduced a completely overhauled user interface, incorporating more graphics and Cover Flow. The iPod Classic was offered in an 80GB model for MSRP US$249 and a 160GB model for MSRP US$349. Revisions During the 'Let's Rock' Apple Event on September 9, 2008, the 80GB and the thicker 160GB model were discontinued in favor of a thin 120GB version retailing for US$249. It introduced Genius and audio recording capabilities which are also available in other iPod models released at similar times; no firmware update provides either feature to the first-generation iPods. Also, the black model's faceplate was replaced with a gray colored faceplate, while retaining the silver backing and the black Click Wheel. Prior to the 'It's Only Rock and Roll' event on September 9, 2009, the price of the 120GB version was dropped to US$229. During the event, Apple replaced the 120GB version with an 160GB model, featuring the same slim profile which retailed at US$249. Special Editions U2 Special Editions There are four different U2 Special Edition iPod models, each with widely differing capabilities. However, each of the U2 models -- the iPod U2 (4th Gen), iPod U2 (Color), iPod U2 (5th Gen/Video), and iPod U2 (5th Gen Enhanced) -- are the same internally as the "standard" iPod model available at the time, and the U2 models vary only in case design and cost. The iPod U2 (4th Gen) The original U2 iPod -- the iPod U2 (4th Gen) -- is internally the same as the 20 GB configuration of the iPod (4th Generation), but uses a case with a black front, a red "Clickwheel", and laser-etched signatures of the U2 band members on the stainless steel back. It shipped with an "exclusive" U2 poster, a US$50-off coupon for "The Complete U2" downloadable "box set", and the standard white iPod earbuds. It cost US$50 more than the standard iPod (4th Gen). The iPod U2 (Color) The second U2 iPod -- the iPod U2 (Color) -- is internally identical to the 20 GB configuration of the iPod (with Color Display). It uses a slightly thicker (.06 inches) version of the original U2 iPod case complete with black front, red "ClickWheel", and laser etched signed stainless steel back, but most notably adds a color display. It also shipped with the same poster, coupon, and earbuds, but only cost US$30 more than the standard iPod (with Color Display). The U2 (5th Gen & 5th Gen Enhanced) The third and fourth U2 Special Edition iPods -- the iPod U2 (5th Gen/Video), and iPod U2 (5th Gen Enhanced) -- are internally identical to the iPod Fifth Generation (with Video) and iPod Fifth Generation (Enhanced), respectively, but each cost US$30 more than the standard models. Externally, both have a red "ClickWheel" and a "gloss black metal" rear case (featuring laser-etched autographs of the U2 band members like the other U2 models). Discontinuation According to speculation by Wired, the 6th generation was, as of 2014, expected to be the final form of the iPod Classic that helped Apple achieve its success in the 2000s. Ars Technica speculated in 2011 that the iPod Classic was nearing its end, and the site’s readers generally agreed it would not still be produced in 2013. The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in 2013 revealed no new iPod Classic and Apple was not expected to produce another one. Production of the iPod Classic continued in low volumes as a stop-gap measure to clear out and monetize inventory of unused stand-alone parts. On September 9, 2014, Apple discontinued the iPod Classic. The sixth-generation 160GB iPod Classic was the last Apple product in the iPod line to use the original 30-pin iPod connector and the Click Wheel. According to Tim Cook speaking at WSJD Live, the iPod Classic was discontinued because the parts were unavailable and a redesign was unwarranted given the small amount of consumer interest in the product. Three months after its discontinuation, the price for sixth-generation iPod Classic increased by up to four times its original retail price on eBay. Models Timeline of full-size iPod models / / Define $later = Period = from:10/15/2001 till:$later Define $skip = at:end # Force a blank line Define $dayunknown = 15 # what day to use if it's actually not known ImageSize= width:1200 height:auto barincrement:20 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:1 left:1 bottom:110 top:1 Colors = id:bg value:white id:lightline value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) id:lighttext value:rgb(0.5,0.5,0.5) id:server value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.9) id:gen1 value:rgb(0.95,0.95,1) Legend:iPod_Classic_(1st_generation) id:gen2 value:rgb(0.9,0.9,1) Legend:iPod_Classic_(2nd_generation) id:gen3 value:rgb(0.85,0.85,1) Legend:iPod_Classic_(3rd_generation) id:gen4 value:rgb(0.8,0.8,1) Legend:iPod_Classic_(4th_generation) id:clr value:rgb(0.75,0.75,1) Legend:iPod_Classic_Color id:gen5 value:rgb(0.7,0.7,1) Legend:iPod_Classic_(5th_generation) id:classic1 value:rgb(0.65,0.65,1) Legend:iPod_Classic_(6th_generation) id:classic1b value:rgb(0.6,0.6,1) id:classic1c value:rgb(0.55,0.55,1) id:gen3b value:rgb(0.85,0.85,1) id:gen5b value:rgb(0.75,0.75,1) id:touch1 value:rgb(1,1,0.9) Legend:iPod_Touch_(1st_generation) id:touch2 value:rgb(1,1,0.8) Legend:iPod_Touch_(2nd_generation) id:touch3 value:rgb(1,1,0.7) Legend:iPod_Touch_(3rd_generation) id:touch4 value:rgb(1,1,0.6) Legend:iPod_Touch_(4th_generation) id:touch5 value:rgb(1,1,0.5) Legend:iPod_Touch_(5th_generation) id:touch6 value:rgb(1,1,0.4) Legend:iPod_Touch_(6th_generation) id:touch7 value:rgb(1,1,0.3) Legend:iPod_Touch_(7th_generation) id:current value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) Legend:Still_produced BackgroundColors = canvas:bg ScaleMajor = gridcolor:lighttext unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/2002 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightline unit:month increment:1 start:11/01/2001 Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 BarData = barset:classic barset:touch PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s barset:classic color:gen1 from:10/23/2001 till:04/28/2003 text:"Classic 1G 5 GB" color:gen1 from:04/21/2002 till:07/17/2002 text:"10" barset:break $skip color:gen2 from:07/17/2002 till:04/28/2003 text:"2G 10 GB" color:gen2 from:07/17/2002 till:04/28/2003 text:"2G 20 GB" barset:break $skip color:gen3 from:04/28/2003 till:01/06/2004 text:"3G 10 GB" color:gen3 from:04/28/2003 till:09/08/2003 text:"3G 15 GB" $skip color:gen3 from:04/28/2003 till:09/08/2003 text:"3G 30 GB" barset:break $skip $skip color:gen3b from:01/06/2004 till:07/19/2004 text:"15 GB" color:gen3b from:09/08/2003 till:07/19/2004 text:"20 GB" $skip color:gen3b from:09/08/2003 till:07/19/2004 text:"40 GB" barset:break $skip $skip $skip color:gen4 from:07/19/2004 till:06/28/2005 text:"4G 20 GB" $skip color:gen4 from:07/19/2004 till:02/23/2005 text:"4G 40 GB" color:gen4 from:10/26/2004 till:02/23/2005 text:"Photo 40" color:gen4 from:10/26/2004 till:06/28/2005 text:"60 GB" barset:break $skip $skip $skip $skip color:gen4 from:02/23/2005 till:06/28/2005 text:"Photo 30" barset:break $skip $skip $skip color:clr from:06/28/2005 till:10/12/2005 text:"Color 20 GB" $skip $skip $skip color:clr from:06/28/2005 till:10/12/2005 text:"Clr 60" barset:break $skip $skip $skip $skip color:gen5 from:10/12/2005 till:09/05/2007 text:"Classic 5G 30 GB" $skip $skip color:gen5 from:10/12/2005 till:09/12/2006 text:"Classic 5G 60 GB" barset:break $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip color:gen5b from:09/12/2006 till:09/05/2007 text:"80 GB" barset:break $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip color:classic1 from:09/05/2007 till:09/09/2008 text:"Clsc 6G 80 GB" $skip color:classic1 from:09/05/2007 till:09/09/2008 text:"Clsc 6G 160 GB" barset:break $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip color:classic1b from:09/09/2008 till:09/09/2009 text:"120 GB" barset:break $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip color:classic1c from:09/09/2009 till:09/09/2014 text:"160 GB" barset:break $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip $skip barset:touch color:touch1 from:09/05/2007 till:09/09/2008 text:"Touch 1G 8 GB" color:touch1 from:09/05/2007 till:09/09/2008 text:"1G 16 GB" color:touch1 from:02/05/2008 till:09/09/2008 text:"1G 32" barset:break color:touch2 from:09/09/2008 till:09/09/2009 text:"2G 8 GB MB" color:touch2 from:09/09/2008 till:09/09/2009 text:"2G 16 GB" color:touch2 from:09/09/2008 till:09/09/2009 text:"2G 32 GB" barset:break color:touch2 from:09/09/2009 till:09/01/2010 text:"2G 8 GB MC" $skip color:touch3 from:09/09/2009 till:09/01/2010 text:"3G 32 GB" $skip color:touch3 from:09/09/2009 till:09/01/2010 text:"3G 64 GB" barset:break color:touch4 from:09/01/2010 till:09/12/2012 text:"Touch 4G 8 GB" color:touch4 from:09/12/2012 till:05/30/2013 text:"4G 16 GB" color:touch4 from:09/01/2010 till:05/30/2013 text:"4G 32 GB" $skip color:touch4 from:09/01/2010 till:09/12/2012 text:"4G 64 GB" barset:break $skip color:touch5 from:05/30/2013 till:06/26/2014 text:"5G 16 GB 2013" color:touch5 from:06/26/2014 till:07/15/2015 text:"5G 16 GB 2014" color:touch5 from:10/11/2012 till:07/15/2015 text:"Touch 5G 32 GB" color:touch5 from:10/11/2012 till:07/15/2015 text:"5G 64 GB" barset:break $skip color:touch6 from:07/15/2015 till:07/27/2017 text:"Touch 6G 16 GB" $skip color:touch6 from:07/15/2015 till:05/28/2019 text:"Touch 6G 32 GB" color:touch6 from:07/15/2015 till:07/27/2017 text:"6G 64 GB" color:touch6 from:07/15/2015 till:05/28/2019 text:"6G 128 GB" barset:break $skip $skip $skip color:touch7 from:05/28/2019 till:$now text:"Touch 7G 32 GB" $skip color:touch7 from:05/28/2019 till:$now text:"7G 128 GB" color:touch7 from:05/28/2019 till:$now text:"7G 256 GB" barset:break $skip $skip $skip color:current from:$now till:end $skip color:current from:$now till:end color:current from:$now till:end }} Sources: Apple press release library,Apple Inc., Apple press release library, Retrieved September 17 July 2015. Mactracker Apple Inc. model databaseMactracker (mactracker.ca), Apple Inc. model database, version as of 17 July 2015. References External links * * ** Classic Category:Products introduced in 2001 Category:Products and services discontinued in 2014 Category:Portable media players Category:ITunes Category:Discontinued products